clark



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. E. CLARK.

SAND B0X FOR RAILWAYGARS.v

Patented Jan. 15, 1889'.

WMM@

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.) l

W. H. CLARK.

SAND BOX FOR RAILWAY GARS.

No. 396,352. atented Jal. 15, 1889.

Unirse stares Ferroni* trice.

lVILLIAil'I II. CLARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGVNORA TO HORACE G. BIRD, OF SAME PLACE.

SAND-Box Foa RAILWAYHCARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters atent No. 396,352, dated January 15, 1889.

Application filed April 18, 1888. Serial No. 271,039. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may conocan Be it known that I, IYILLIAM II. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ot' Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sand-Boxes for Railway Ylars, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the sand-boxes which are used for sanding the rails in front of the wheels ot' railwaycars and locomotives; and the object of my invention is to furnish improved devices for this purpose which shall Le positive in their operation and effective in results.

One difficulty which has been encountered in the use of sand-boxes is that the sand,which usually contained in a hopper-shaped receptacle, has a tendency, particularly when it contains much moisture, to pack in a mass as it is fed down toward the opening in the bottom of the receptacle, thereby formin an arch or bridge of sand, and impeding,il` not entirely arr sting, its free tiow. As the opening of the hopper for the egress oi' the sand is usually placed in the bottom of the hopper at or near its vertical center, the sand immediately above this opening may of course drop out through the same; but as the opening is somewhat restricted the sand does not fall out freely enough to break up the solid mass of sand above or prevent the formation of the arch or bridge of the sand before spoken of.

It is the purpose of my invention to so construct the sand-box and to provide it with such devices as shall prevent the formation of this arch and secure an uninterrupted tlow of the sand to the oriiice in the hopper-bottom.

Another feature of my improvement relates to an improved construction whereby Ineasured quantities of sand may be discharged from the box or hopper at pleasure, thereby avoiding waste and at the saine time insuring a sufficient quantity of the same to be deposited on the rail.

In the accompanyingdrawings, embodying my improvements, Figure l is a side elevation of my improvements applied to a car, only so niuch'and such portions of the latter being shown as are necessary to an understanding of such application. Fig. l is a plan view of Athan the others, C2 C2.

the bottom of the car and designed to show the manner ot' operating the device. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the hopper detached, and

showing on the interior thereof the means for breaking up the bridge or arch of sand. Fig. a is a side elevation of the hopper shown in Fig. 3, together with the feed-cup by which the sand is received from the hopper and emptied into a suitable spout to conduct it to the rail. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section of the parts shown in Figs. 3 and l.

In said drawings, A represents the body of the car, (which in the example is a street-car,) and I3 the platform thereof.

C is the hopper-shaped sandbox,which will preferably have two of its sides, as C C', longer Within said hopper I vplace plates D, as many as desired, which plates are arranged radially from the opening in the bottom of the hopper and extend upward from said opening to a considerable distance-say to half or two-thirds of the vertical height of the box. Those plates thus arranged t'orm a series of hopper-shaped compartm en ts, each com m unicatin g with the body of sand above and with the orifice in the bottom of the hopper. These plates may be secured within' a supplemental hopper, D D D D", whereby they can be readily applied and removed from the sand-box. They are secured at their upper margins, (l, and at a point between their upper and lower inargins-say at (If-to the sides of the supplemental hopper. Of course the plates may be secured directly to the hopper. This construction permits the plates to flex or yield under the pressure of the sand, and thus, should the sand lodge in one compartment7 it will be treed by the yielding of the plates. It may be found practicable to simply hinge these platesat their tops and allow vthem to swing freely at the bottom, as in such case, when the hopper is filled with sand, the sand will find its way into each of the compartments formed by the plates and eventually find egress between their ends into the opening. of light thin metal. The orifice in the bottom of the sand-box here shown is formed by cutting off the said bottom in the arc of a The plates D will preferably be made I IOO circle, and into this circular opening a feedcup, E, is fitted, which is secured to a rockshaft, F, carried by hangers or straps F from the box C. This cup may be semi-cylindrical in form, as shown. It has formed in its periphery one or more pockets, e, whose openings approximate the opening in the bottom of the box or hopper. It also has one ormore solid portions, e', of such length and shape as to it accurately and close the opening in the bottom of the hopper to prevent the egress of sand therefrom. To this rock-shaft is rigidly secured an arm, G, which is connected by means ol' a rod, H, to a bent arm, I, pivoted at the front of the car and adapted to be rocked on its pivot by means of a foot-lever, J.

A chain or rod, K, having the spring-section L, is connected at its respective ends to some fixed portion of the car and'to the lower end of the arm G, whereby the cup E is normally held with its pocket e under the opening of the sand-box, so that said pocket is kept full of sand until it is desired to use it. A spout, M, carries the sand to the rail in front of the wheel.

Vhen it is desired to sand the railjfhe footlever is depressed, and through its intermediate connections rocks the cup E, thereby emptying the sand contained in the pocket c into the spout, while the solid portion e prevents the sand from running out. Vhen the foot-lever is released, the spring rocks the shaft, bringing the cup back to its original position, where it again lls with sand. Thus a regulated quantity of sand may be fed to the rail at each operation, or at the pleasure of the operator the cup may be only partially rotated and held, so as to permit a continuous flow of sand to the rail.

I claim- I. A sand-box hopper-shaped in its general outline, having an orifice at or near its bottom, and provided with one or more plates secured in the sand-space Within said hopper, whereby to permit sand to pass on both sides of said plate or plates and thereby prevent the packing or clogging of the same, substantially as described.

2. In a sandbox, the combination, with the hopper shaped sand receptacle having an opening in its bottom, of a series of plates located transversely in said receptacle, Whereby to permit the sand to pass on bot-h sides of said plates, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with a hopper-shaped sand-box having an opening in its bottom, of a series of plates secured therein, radially arranged with reference to said opening, substantially as described.

4. In a sanding apparatus, the combination, with the sand-receptacle having an opening at or near its bottom, of a feed-cup fitted to said opening and provided with a pocket and a solid portion, and adapted to be rocked to bring said pocket and said solid portion alternately beneath said opening, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a sanding apparatus, with a hoppenshaped receptacle having an opening in its bottom, of a series of plates secured therein and a feed-cup provided with a pocket and a solid portion adapted to said opening and to be rocked, whereby to bring said pocket and said solid portion alternately to said opening, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

VILLIAM H. CLARK.

IVitnesses:

C. C. LINTHICUM, DEL BUTLER. 

